Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-09-05
THE INVESTIGATION
OF the Chicago Conector-Report OF Ii
Commission.

The INV ESIlGAIlUN
OF h Chicago Conector-Report OF the
Commission.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., September 4-The
Civil Service Commission has submitted to
the President the reportof its investigation
in April last of the complaint made by G.
A. Webster against Anthony F. Seeberger,
collector of the port of Chicago, and trans
mitted to the President by the Civil Ser
vice Reform League Of Chicago, and by him
referred to the Commission, charging viola
lions of the Civil Service law.
The report consists of the ''Opinion ofthe
Commission" which is signed by Commits
sioners Oberly and Lyman; q report to the
Commission by Commissioner Edgerton
and another by Commissioner Lyman, who
confines himself principally to the testi-
mony submitted at the investigation. The
opinion of the Commission, as submitted
to the President, says that the com
plant of Mr.. Webster is in
substance that he was compelled to resign
his place in the appraisers office OF the
| Chicago custom districts, that this compul-
sion was exercised upon him, not because
he was inefficient, undutifnl insubOrdin-
ate or dishonest, OF for any other good
cause, but because he was a Republican
and the collector desired to put a Demo
crat into the place occupied by him. In
his letter Of complaint, Mr.. Webster
says that after receiving notice that his
! resignation was demanded he called upon
the collector and was informed that no
complaint had been urged against his
official conduct and ability, which were
excellent, hut that owing to q great pres
sure there was q necessity that vacancies
should be made and that the collector at
this interview sd: "You must
remember that our party has been out
of power for twenty-five years,
and YOU should be thankful for having
been allowed to stay two years under u
Democratic administration" Webster,
the opinion continues, was compelled to
resign. Collector Seeberger replied that
his request for Webster's resignation had
been made for reasons amply strong, and
| that he acted in strict conformity with the
] civil service law, as he understood it. In
/ his testimony before the commission, Mr..
Seeberger denied having said anything to
Mr.. Webster that could be construed into
a declaration that the request for his resig-
nation was prompted for political reasons.
THE reasons for this removal' said Mr..
Seeberger, were in my own mind and keep
ing and these he refused to state. The
opinion observes that while Mr.. Seeberger
~emphatically says that he did not say to
Mr.. Webster that his resignation had been
demanded for political reasons he did not
inform him that such were not his reasons.
In this connection attention is called to the
fact that Mr.. Webster was not so far as
the evidence shows given the benefit Of the
law which requires the heads Of execu-
tive departments in making reduction Of
force to retain those persons who may he
equally qualified who have been honorably
discharged soldiers or sailors. Mr.. Webs
ter says the opinion is an honorably dis
charged wounded soldier he passed their
service customs examination with an aver
age of 9O-5 per cent and his conduct and
capacity having been satisfactory during
his probationary term he was absolutely
appointed. He was afterwards promoted
for faithful and efficient service.
His competency Collector Seeberger does
not deny. That Webster was an offensive
partisan is not shown by testimony. In
| the afidayits made by him he swears that
he was never a politician, had never at
tended a caucus or convention as a dele
| .,nNa ,nA hnk nnnn q cnanfnfnr Hn annC.
II have, however, strong honest political
views, which have always held i'll quiet
and gentlemanly way, keeping always in
view the rights of others who might differ
with me-" Strong political views,
SAYS the opinion, Mr.. Webster had a
right to entertain; and during the time
he held a public place it was his right TO
give at proper times strong expression to
those views. The opinion is not to be
tolerated that because o man occupies a
place in the classified civil service he
must therefore surrender his right to take
an interest in the politics of the country.
No good, citizen will do so; and no de-
gree of activity in effort to advance the in
terest of the party opposed to the admin
istratiOn, should his partisan activity
in no way interfere with his public
duties, render insecure in the service of the
government the position of any person who
does not occupy a place, in the discharge
of the duties OF which he affects public poll
cies. The opinion suggests that if the rule
which obtains in the Treasury Department,
requiring a reason to be given for every
dismissal OF forced resignation, is observed
in the administration of the affairs Of all
the branches of executive civil service,
there would be no difficulty in arriving at
speedy and definite conclusions upon COM
plants of the kind under consideration;
but while appointing officers have the
right to retain within their own minds and
keeping the reasons for the removals made
by them, they may abuse their power with
shameful impunity, and in abuses of this
kind remain unchallenged.
Commissioner Edgerton presented a re-
port, in which he denied the jurisdiction
of the commission in the matter.